Edmund d



(No Model.)

E. D. l BROWN. GRAIN SEPARATOR.

`By A Home gw/wh,

Patented May 2,1882."

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` "UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

EDMUND D. BROWN, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIG-NOR TO NICHOLS, SHEPARD du COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,435, dated May 2, 1882.

Application filed February 17, 188;?. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND D. BROWN, of Battle Creek, county of Calhoun, State ot' Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separatore, ot' which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view ot' a thrashing-machine and separator with my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation, showing a fan-chamber and the means for adjusting the door on one side thereof; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the adjusting devices.

My invention relates to a novel means'for adjusting or regulating the fan-blast operating in connection with the screens or carriers for 2o e'ecting a separation of the grain from the straw, chaff, Ste., and in a novel arrangement ot' said means, whereby they aie made accessible to and can be operated by the attendant from either side of the machine.

lt consists in the combination, with sliding or adjustable doors to the fan-ease, ot' adjusting-levers operated by means of cains on a sliding shaft provided with means enabling the attendant to operate it from either side of 3o the machine, for adjusting the sliding doors to the fan-case, for regulating the admission of air to and the consequent blast of the fan, as hereinafter explained.

In the ordinary construction of grain-separating attachments to thrashing-machines, in order to adjust or regulate the fan-blast, it has usually been necessary for the attendant to get under the machine and adjust the doors to the fan-case by hand, and where, as often 4o happens, the straw to be fed to or that discharged froin the machine is banked up against one side of the machine the door or slide to the fan-case upon that side is rendered inaccessible to the attendant, and consequently it has been found at times impracticable to regulate the fan-blast to exactly suit the varying conditions of the grain acted upon without great inconvenience, such as frequently led to neglect in its adjustment 4and an imperfect 5o separation of the chaff, Ste., from the grain as a result.

The object of the present improvement is to obviate this diiiiculty by the provision of a simple arrangement of means by which the doors of the fan-case upon either side can be readily adjusted by the attendant from either side ot' the machine, and rendering it uuiiecessary for him to get under the machine for that purpose, as will be explained.

Iii the accompanying drawings, A repre- 6o seiits the body of the machine; B, the fancase inclosing the fan, which, being similar 1n construction and arrangement of parts to such as are now in common use, need not be described.

The fan-case is provided on each side with a sliding or adjustable door, C, for regulating the amount of air admitted to the fan and the consequent current or blast therefrom., and to these doors levers D D' are connected, either 7o through a slot, d, in one end ot' said lever and a pin, C', passing through said slot into the door, as shown, or by a pivoted link or other suitable means permitting the movement in the arc of a circle of the arm ofthe lever connected with the door. The levers D D are pivoted at c in pendent brackets E, secured to the side frame-timbers, A', of the machine, or to any other convenient point ot' support, and the heel-extensions ot' said levers beyond said 8o pivot are bent at their extreme ends at an angle of ninety degrees (more or less) to the bOdy of the lever, said angular ends being forked or bifureated and striding a worm, j', on the vertical face ot' a disk, F. The disks F and 35 F' are mounted loosely on a sliding transverse shaft, G, and in flanged annular portions H' of brackets H, rigidly secured to the lowerlongitudinal frame-timbers, A', said annular portions H' forming bearings for the disks and 90 permitting their rotation. The disks are provided oii their inner faces with notched or radially-slotted hubs F2, adapting them to engage with radial pins g g', formed upon or rigidly secured to the sliding or longitudinallyadjustable shaft G, which is provided with handles G G2, one at each end, adapting it to be operated by the attendant from either side of the machine. By this arrangement it will be seen that the attendant, standing upon the IOO side ot' the machine adjacent to the handle G', `by drawing said handle toward him causes the pins g to engage with the hub of disk F, when, by rotating the shaft, the door C, operated by means of the worm f on the disk F and lever D, can be adjusted as desired, or by thrusting the sha-ft from him he can cause it to enga ge through the pins g and slotted hub of disk Il" with the latter, for operating it and throughit the lever D and door upon the opposite side of the fan-ease.

The shaft G can be operated in a similar manner through the handle G from the opposite side of the machine, and the attendant is thus enabled to adjust either or both doors to the fan-case from either side of the machine.

The Worm f, being what is termed a slow worm, serves to give an easy regular movement to the adjusting-lever, and to hold the latter at any desired adjustment, and is therefore preferred 5 but it may be substituted by a cam-slot in the disk or by an eccentric formed upon or secured thereto for the same purpose, the form of connection of the lever therewith being varied to suit such construction. The end of the lever engaging with the worm may, if desired, be provided with laterallyprojecting pins provided with friction-rollers, in lieu of the angular fork described, or with a single pin and roller entering the worm-slot in the disk where such slot is used; but these are obvious modifications of the construction de scribed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a grain-separator, the combination,

with the adjustable doors of the fan-case, of 35 ad j ustin glevers and a sliding transverse shaft provided with cams for actuating said doors, whereby they are adapted to be operated from either side of the machine.

2. rlhe combination, with the adjustable doors of the fan-ease and the adjusting-levers, of worm wheels or their equivalent and a sliding transverse shaft, said wheels being mounted loosely on said shaft and adapted to be engaged therewith for operating said levers and doors, substantially as described.

3.' The combination of the sliding shaft G, the worm-wheels F and F', or their equivalent, adapted to be4 engaged with said shaft, and the levers D and D with the adjustable doors of the fan case, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th da)v of February, A. D. 1882.

EDMUND D. BROWN.

Witnesses:

ALFRED A. ELLswoRTn, FRANK W. DUNNING. 

